Greg Robinson to retire as Holland assistant city manager

HOLLAND, MI – After a 30-year career with the city of Holland dealing with issues ranging from reviving the city’s downtown to helping the local airport transition from city control to a separate regional authority, Greg Robinson says it’s time to step aside.

Robinson, who has been Holland’s assistant city manager since 1992, announced Monday that he will retire this summer. A final date has not been set, but Robinson said it would be no earlier than June 30.

“He demonstrated quiet and creative leadership. He was not one to look for headlines or (come up with) a clever quote,” former Mayor Al McGeehan said. “Greg was the kind of individual who, working with a team, could take the decision of the team and carry out its implementation.”

Robinson came to Holland in 1984 as the first manager for the city’s Main Street program, where he worked closely with business owners and investors in developing a vision for the downtown area. He presided over the 1988 reconstruction of Eighth Street known as Streetscape, which included the installation of the city’s snowmelt system, and worked with developers such as the late Holland industrialist Edgar Prince and Riverview Development Group in restoration of downtown buildings.

“He was the guy who worked with all the merchants, all the design programs, all the property owners (to bring everything together),” said former Councilman Craig Rich, who was on the council during the downtown revitalization effort which came in response to the emergence of Westshore Mall as a major retail destination.

Robinson says the success of the revitalization, which set the tone for downtown Holland’s current status as a vibrant shopping district, was the result of a lot of people coming together with a common goal.

“What impressed me was the commitment of so many people who were willing to work together for the good of the community,” he said.

Robinson became Holland’s first director of planning and development in 1990, and moved into the assistant city manager’s role two years later. During his tenure, he worked closely on economic development projects for the city and served as the city’s liaison to such entities as what was then Tulip City (now West Michigan Regional) Airport and the Macatawa Area Express transit system. He played a leading role in the establishment of the West Michigan Airport Authority in 2008, the regional governing body that now oversees the airport.

Robinson became interim City Manager in August 2011 after the retirement of longtime City Manager Soren Wolff, and held that position until Ryan Cotton was hired the following March as city manager.

After retiring from the city, Robinson will continue to work for the airport authority. The authority board Monday approved a one-year employment contract for Robinson to work 10 hours a week at a rate of $30 per hour.

“We feel Greg has been a tremendous asset to the airport authority, and we would like to retain his services,” said Zeeland City Manager Tim Klunder, chairman of the authority board.